Electrical power distribution system substations generally utilize grounding systems to ground the substation components and ensure reliable performance. The grounding system typically includes a buried grid of electrical conductors.
Grounding connectors are typically utilized to connect the electrical conductors together and provide connections between the substation and the grounding system. The grounding connectors are generally crimped or swaged to one or more electrical conductors to provide such connections. Ground connectors come in a variety of different shapes and sizes to accommodate various different connection and size requirements.
One issue with some known ground connectors, however, is the number of separate components of the ground connectors that are required to be assembled before crimping, swaging, etc. For example, some known “split parallel” type ground connectors utilize a body and two separate caps. Electrical conductors are inserted into channels in the body. Each cap must then be inserted into a slot in the body to secure an associated electrical conductor between the cap and body. This installation process is relatively difficult, time consuming, and burdensome, because the installer has to manually secure the electrical conductors in the body while simultaneously attempting to insert the caps. Further, the low visibility environment in which such ground connectors are typically installed results in difficulty in finding such components in the event they are dropped.
Accordingly, improved ground connectors are desired.